1. Pathophysiologic features of “thin” endometrium
Ichiro Miwa, M.D., Hiroshi Tamura, M.D., Ph.D., Akihisa Takasaki, M.D., Ph.D., Yoshiaki Yamagata, M.D., Ph.D., Katsunori Shimamura, M.D., Ph.D., Norihiro Sugino, M.D., Ph.D. 
Fertility and Sterility 
Volume 91, Issue 4, Pages (April 2009)
DOI: /j.fertnstert
Copyright © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

2. Figure 1
Relationship between uterine blood flow and endometrial thickness. (A) correlation between uterine artery resistance index (UA-RI) and endometrial thickness (n = 67). (B) Correlation between radial artery resistance index (RA-RI) and endometrial thickness (n = 74). The UA-RI and RA-RI were measured for the patients with normal-thickness endometrium (endometrial thickness ≥8 mm) and thin endometrium (endometrial thickness <8 mm) in the midluteal phase. Endometrial thickness was significantly correlated with both UA-RI and RA-RI (single regression analysis).
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

3. Figure 2
Changes in resistance index of the radial artery (RA-RI) throughout the menstrual cycle. Thirty-seven patients in the normal-thickness endometrium group and ten patients in the thin endometrium group were longitudinally monitored throughout the menstrual cycle, and RA-RI was measured in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase (preovulatory phase), and midluteal phase in each individual. The box extends from the lower quartile (25th percentile) to the upper quartile (75th percentile). The median is shown as a line across the box. The lower bar represents the 10th percentile, and the upper bar represents the 90th percentile. ∗P<.05 vs. normal-thickness endometrium (Mann-Whitney U test). The RA-RI did not significantly change during the menstrual cycle in either group (Kruskal-Wallis test).
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

4. Figure 3
Growth of glandular epithelium and the number of blood vessels in the endometrium. The endometrial biopsy specimens were obtained from 53 patients (normal-thickness endometrium group: n = 39; thin endometrium group: n = 14) in the midluteal phase. Immunohistochemical staining for CD34, a marker of vascular endothelial cells, in the normal-thickness endometrium (A) and thin endometrium (B) groups is shown. The area of glandular epithelial cells was measured within a unit area (0.318 mm2/field) using ImageJ 1.33u (Wayne Rasband, National Institutes of Health). The data are expressed as a percentage of the area of glandular epithelial cells per a unit area (C). Blood vessels were identified with CD34-positive vascular endothelial cells and counted within a unit area in the microscopic field at ×200 magnification as described in the text. The number of blood vessels is expressed per 1 mm2 of stroma (D). ∗P<.05 vs. normal-thickness endometrium (Mann-Whitney U test). Bar = 60 μm.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

5. Figure 4
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the endometrium. (A) Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF (left panel) and a negative control (right panel) in the midsecretory phase. Bar = 40 μm. (B, left panel) Representative immunoblots of VEGF protein expression in the midsecretory phase in the normal-thickness (n = 6) and thin (n = 3) endometrium groups. The tissue samples that showed out-of-phase by endometrial dating were not included in the analysis of VEGF expression. (B, right panel) Quantification of immunoblot signals (ratio of VEGF to β-tubulin), mean ± SEM. ∗P<.05 vs. normal-thickness endometrium (Mann-Whitney U test).
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions